POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS : 1968
ENGLISH ELECTRIC VALVE 1968
I had been working, and continued to work, on the plan requested by F.C. Thompson. I sent written drafts for typing to his secretary and had completed it just after Christmas. I sent it to F.C. Thompson to reach him by 1st January 1968, when the new Quality Assurance Manager took up his appointment, indicated the part that could be implemented immediately and asked if he would let me know when it was convenient for me to come over and discuss it.
Monday 1st January 1968
Working on paper entitled "The Designer’s Job" when I hadn’t one myself.
Thursday 4th January 1968
IEE Dinner. Saw R. Telford afterwards. He normally couldn't attend on Thursdays but the meeting he usually went to had been cancelled, he said. Conversation interrupted by F.S. Barton and Pat Bevan.
Friday 5th January 1968
I had heard nothing by now so I rang Thompson who said he had been at Elliot Automation all week. We arranged for me to visit EEV on Monday 8th January.
In the meantime, I had received several odd 'phone calls. one from Pedersen of IPPS/IoP and another from Winton who said that G. Bosworth was closely connected with and often lunched at EEV.
Friday 6th January 1968
Party at Godwins. Atmosphere had changed. David Jones of E.E. was there. He asked me who I was going to see at EEV on Monday. Registered disapproval when I mentioned I was going to see F.C. Thompson and said he thought I might be going to see the M.D. The wife of a Hawker Siddeley guest said one had to abandon one's principles when one's income was at risk.
Monday 8th
January 1968
Arrived at Waterhouse Lane at 10 a.m. approx. Met by a secretary at top of stairs who said that Mr. Saltmarsh, Assistant Accountant wished. to see me. He queried my tax code - this he said was why I hadn't received payment. I pointed out that payment was required without deduction of tax and asked him to speed things up. I was told they would prefer to pay on a four-week period basis rather than calendar monthly and I agreed.
When F.C. Thompson & I considered the quality assurance plan he straightway started to criticise it, challenging every point I made, with complete lack of integrity. After about an hour of this I asked Thompson who had primed him. He was somewhat flustered then denied any prompting. I told him I could see the way it had been set up and that I abhorred these manipulative techniques. Thompson then said they had just re-engaged D. Marples as a consultant.
I lunched in Chelmsford centre and then rang N. Sutherland who said he was too busy and it was pointless seeing me. Anyway, he was departing on Friday 12th to South Africa and would not be returning until February 23rd.
Wednesday 10th
January 1968
Arrived at Waterhouse Lane at about 10.30 a.m. to see F.C. Thompson. I had decided to make my relationships with Marconi Instruments clearer and showed him a draft press release I had concocted to make my point. It was not the sort of statement which would ever be published.
I also showed Thompson extracts from Schein's "Management Development" papers. Thompson read them and said he didn't indulge in this sort of thing and that he had thought I had left M.I. because of S. Arms.
Everything that morning was sweet reasonableness. The calibration section was to be in a new location and I was asked what I wanted done there - it would be done immediately because Mr. Beck had said so!
I went from EEV to the IEE where I saw Dr. G.F. Gainsborough.
Afterwards I went to a meeting on Project Problems, chaired by E.R.L. Lewis who greeted me most warmly when I stood up to talk about the creation of artificial environments for training.
Tuesday 16th January 1968
I decided to go to SVTL (Services Valve Test Laboratory) to look at their calibration set-up for valves. I telephoned Mr. Lewis, Officer-in-Charge of SVTL and it was agreed I would visit on the 18th.
A nomination was received from Winton, of Russell of Microwave Associates, for the Conference Organising Committee.
Thursday 18th January 1968
On arrival at SVTL, I noticed that 2 M.I. Sanders (Stevenage) people had been there the day before.
Well treated by Lewis. He described SVTL as a measurement establishment. Spent much of the day with me.
Thursday 25th January 1968
Posted letter to W. G. Leslie re payment of fees - I still hadn't received a penny.
I worked on the drill book for calibration and sent pages for typing. I rang Tomsett on Monday 22nd. He said he was tied up until Friday 26th so we fixed that day tentatively. This was confirmed on Thursday 25th. I tried to make an appointment with J. Young but he sent a message that he wouldn't have time to see me.
Friday 26th
January 1968
Arrived at Waterhouse Lane about 11 a.m.
Asked to make myself at home in Tomsett's office - sit at his desk, etc. The office was tidy and arranged with microwave journal, Marconi Instruments literature, literature on supervisory control systems.
With the references at previous meetings to senior supervisors and the prominence given to literate on supervisory control systems I had some reason to believe that my allegorical article on the need for Ray Burnett to be supervised, which I had sent to Neil Sutherland, had been taken seriously.
Went to lunch. Sales Manager got up from lunch and said he was now going to conduct another interview (the advert for Assistant Sales Manager had appeared). After lunch I saw W.G. Leslie about my letter which he said he hadn't received. I showed him a copy and he agreed wholeheartedly and said he would see to it straight away.
F.C. Thompson said he wanted to see me. When I got into his office he started criticising me most offensively. Thompson told me my name was mud in EEV. I said I wasn't going to leave with my reputation tarnished, etc., and he said "That's the end - we'll finish it here and now". I think he was under orders to finish the arrangement. Indeed, when I said I would like to see J. Young he said that I wouldn't change Young's mind.
Saturday 27th January 1968
I received a letter from J. Young's secretary cancelling the appointment and asking me to 'phone on Thursday or Friday (1st or 2nd February) for another. I also had copies of my draft report returned.
Wednesday 31st January 1968
A "head hunting" organisation telephoned to ask if I would let my name go forward for a job with IPC. I declined - my scepticism about such approaches had been greatly heightened by my EEV experience - the approach may well have been connected to what had happened there the previous Friday.
Saturday 3rd February 1968
I wrote to Sir Gordon Radley enclosing a précis of events at EEV advising him to be cautious in any action he takes and requesting a meeting. I called at his home with the letter but he was in the bath.
Wednesday 7th February 1968
I received notice of termination of consultancy with EEV
Phone calls from IPPS about Prof. Fellgett and Pederson's alteration of JSI Board Minutes
Thursday 8th February 1968
Mockery at an IEE Committee but all helpful
Friday 9th February 1968
Letter from G. S. Bosworth in reply to mine of the 3rd to Sir Gordon. "We would appreciate it if you would let the matter rest".
Wednesday 21st February 1968
I received a cheque for the fees due up to 7th March. In a phone conversation the Commercial Manager of M.I., John Brodrick, commented "You have been topped up".
Friday 1st March 1968
Prof. J. Ring interested in taking over chairmanship of JSI Board
Thursday 7th March 1968
The EEV episode effectively ended with payment up to this day. On the 7th February 1968 I had received notice of termination of the bogus consultancy with EEV and on 20th February I received a cheque for the fees due up to 7th March.
ROYAL VISIT 1
In the morning the IEE Conference Department telephoned about the Conference on Electronics Design. Then Joe Regan telephoned and said that the meeting of the Committee on Electronics Design scheduled for 21st March would have to be postponed because the Duke of Edinburgh had decided at short notice to visit Savoy Place on that date, to address the Graduates and Students Section. [There are several previous references to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh but those directly connected with Electronics Design are made in Marconi Instruments -1964].
My reaction was to say that the meeting should be cancelled and that I was thinking that the Committee should be disbanded, I added that I was fed up with the infiltration of my committees both at the IEE and at the Institute of Physics. Joe Regan was solicitous and suggested that I should come in to review progress - I said I was steering clear of Savoy Place. After he had pointed out that he had received support from two people I had doubts about I told him to go ahead.
Shortly after this conversation Pedersen of IPPS phoned to say that Dr. Dunworth had asked if I would join him, Louis Cohen, Prof Edwards, Prof Frank etc at lunch at Belgrave Square on 21st March. I hedged and said I would let him know on Monday. He pressed me to let him know tomorrow (Fri). I said I had a letter in typing to Dr. Dunworth.
Was there any link between the developments of 7th March and the events of 21st March? Was a Diversion in progress? Joe Regan conveyed the decision to cancel the CED meeting because of the Duke of Edinburgh's visit but who took the decision?
[In the interregnum between the death of one IoP Secretary (Dr. Lang) and the appointment of Dr. Cohen as his successor, a proposal had gone to IoP members that the Duke of Edinburgh should be our President. Regrettably and embarrassingly the membership rejected the proposal].
Friday 8th March 1968
At 1100 I received a phone call from a Mr. Blay of STC Cockfosters (computer side). He was offering a paper for a meeting of Computer-Aided Electronics Design - I told him to send a synopsis to Regan. He added that he had just been put on Ministry of Technology Computer-Aided Electronics Design Committee, which had scheduled a meeting for March 21st - he would then go over to the IEE for my meeting. I told him the meeting was postponed because of a visit by the Duke of Edinburgh.
At 1215 H Carcas of IPPS phoned about an author for a Cryogenics article. Prof Kurti of Oxford had declined and couldn't suggest anyone else. She asked if I could I help. I suggested she consult Rotherham of CEGB.
I asked H Carcas to pass a message to Pedersen that I would not be attending Dr. Dunworth's lunch.
I sent a letter to John Dunworth saying I would resign from the JSI Board as soon as a successor as Chairman was in place.
Monday 11th March 1968
I received a telephone call from John Dunworth who asked "What’s going on?". He asked if it was an IPPS matter - I said yes - involves members of Committee and of staff - making suggestions, passing messages (I had in mind a SIRA man and the newly arrived Managing Editor, Pedersen, as well as Dunworth's selling of Maxwell). Dunworth said the only thing he had asked Pedersen to do was to look at refereeing and the layout of journal - he hoped I agreed. I said yes. It was arranged for me to see him on Friday 15th at Teddington (NPL).
Pedersen buttonholed me at the Physics Exhibition. He said it was a great pity I could not go to Dunworth’s Chairman of Publications Committee lunch on 21st.
Thursday 14th March 1968
In the morning I chaired a meeting of the JSI Board at Lowther Gardens. At the end I told Miss Mayston to let me have draft of Minutes and to send a copy to Pedersen for information. Pedersen said something about lightening the load on Chairmen.
Meanwhile John Dunworth’s secretary had telephoned saying he had to meet some Russians in London on Friday 15th and asked if I meet him at the Atheneum instead of at the NPL in Teddington.
Friday 15th March 1968
In the afternoon I had a one-to-one meeting over tea and anchovy toast with John Dunworth at the Atheneum. He said he had lost my letter to him - he hoped it wasn’t libellous. He was very pleasant.
The Atheneum was rather inhibiting to conversation so it was fortunate that I had a file outlining my experiences which he read right through. John Dunworth said no one had commented on me to him - no one at all. He advised me to steer clear of English Electric. He added that Eric Eastwood had the ear of Lord Nelson. He also said he had lunch some months ago with Lord Nelson, Eastwood & Radley - altogether there were about 9 people there.
John Dunworth said he said he would make discreet enquiries about Pedersen - I advised him not to. He thought Pedersen had been recommended by the President. It had been a difficult decision between him and one other.
He said the Government was in terrible disarray. Wilson, he said, is a only a manipulator and was not good enough for leadership. He said he was going to Russian Embassy nearby at 5.15pm.
I told John Dunworth I would have to fight to get compensation and he responded that a large Company would support its own.
It was left that I would leave Editorial Board at end of session but Dunworth added that I should leave it flexible as I may wish to stay longer. I nominated Prof J. Ring as my deputy - Dunworth did not know him. I made it clear that Publications were not my forte and I would never enter into paid service of IPPS.
Thursday 21st March 1968
I disregarded this signal day.
Saturday 23rd March 1968
I received two letters from John Dunworth. The first was formal letter (Dear Beck) about my wish to resign as Chairman of JSI Board. The second was informal (Dear Harold), offering advice and saying he gathered my decision was really final.
April 1968
In April 1968 I phoned Eric Eastwood, Director of Research of English Electric, in a search for a speaker on Fallout from Government Research for the International Conference on Electronics Design to be held in Cambridge in September 1968. I read out a list of topics in the form of questions. I was surprised when he said they were exactly the kind of questions a Government Minister would ask. This was perhaps the first sign that at E.E. Board level a political career was being mooted.
Also in April 1968, a member of staff of the IEE telephoned and asked me to get in touch with Prof. Coales on an old pals basis. The purpose was to arrange for the use of the University Combination Room (one of my favourite haunts when I was at the Cavendish) for the Conference on Electronics Design, which was to be held in Cambridge in September. I rang Prof. Coales and was greeted in Christian name terms and he used his good offices to obtain the facility for us. Similarly, I was asked to get in touch with Sir James Baker, Head of the Engineering Laboratory about another aspect of the Conference.
Thursday 4th April 1968
I went to a meeting of the Institute of Physics Publications Committee, chaired by J. Dunworth.
The first two items were a proposed Physics In Industry journal & reduced rates of subscription for journals. J. Dunworth said we should postpone discussion but Stanford opened up and D let it ramble on. Must have a man in mind said Dunworth. I said absolutely nothing on this item.
I clashed with J. Dunworth over advertising (he offered me commission “seriously”) and the appointment of J. Ring (it is bound up with your wish to resign, said D). I stimulated discussion on advertisement revenue, IPPS representation on the Royal Society metrication project (Dunworth, directly at me, “the way it is done is Blackett lunching with X etc.), printing (showed my ignorance!), and communication between Boards. There was enthusiastic agreement with my statement that IPPS was not properly represented on the Royal Society Conference of Editors.
Friday 5th April 1968
I wrote to G. Bosworth again.
Thursday 11th April 1968
Letter received from G. S. Bosworth posted in Stafford on 10th April, saying that there are no matters outstanding.
Friday 12th April 1968
IEE send me Electronics Design Conference Paper 20 from CCL "For comments if you wish".
Friday 19th April 1968
An item about CCL's search for top tycoons appeared in The Daily Telegraph.
Monday 29th April 1968
Duke of Edinburgh referred to brainwashing and manipulation.
Friday 3rd May 1968
I received from Arthur D. Little a letter postmarked Musselburgh, Midlothian, 1st May 1968, re-addressed from M.I. It contained a With Compliments slip signed by WAP Black, who was Deputy Director of Research. Arthur D. Little's fields were stated as Research, Management Consulting and Engineering. CCL was later taken over by Arthur D. Little.
Friday 10th May 1968
I attended the IPPS ARM (Annual Representatives Meeting). All were friendly and complimentary about JSI.
Dunworth said he had seen Ray Burnett three or four times since I had told him about him (how come?). He added "he is an odd sort of chap".
Wednesday 15 May 1968
Farewell to JSI Board with exhortation to attend Publications Committee
Tuesday 21st May 1968
June 1968
AIM Associates Cambridge founded - it took its name from AIM Electronics. CCL and AIM Electronics were its subsidiaries.
Friday 14th June 1968
I attended my last meeting of the Institute of Physics Publications Committee, which turned out to be quite extraordinary. The Committee consisted as usual of Chairmen of the Institute's journals and was chaired by John Dunworth.
J. Dunworth and C.F. Frank had a conversation in my presence before the others arrived. The Royal Society had been discussing the role of the NPL. Blackett & Lighthill (ex RAE) had preferred to accept that the NPL should carry out such tasks as the Prime Minister directed. C.F. Frank had opposed acceptance and had been supported by F.E. Jones and GBR. Feilden. J. Dunworth asked C.F. Frank what he would have done if he had lost. C.F. Frank said he would have kept on pressing. J. Dunworth then said - turning to me (previously looking sideways) - that the thing is not to resign but maintain contact and carrying on fighting.
Other points made to me in the course of discussion before the meeting were that I should be a Fellow of the Royal Society and that people like me, who were on a par with the Feildens and F.E. Jones's, were much needed to keep Prime Minister Harold Wilson's hands off the NPL.
There was an odd man out attending the meeting, namely D.C. Press of the Cabinet Office (in whose Obituary note by Lord Zuckerman in The Times on 14th September 1984 there was reference to his secret work on behalf of the Government).
Great attention was paid to my views on Publications Committee structure. There were suggestions of links with meetings groups and three layer structures (brought up by S.F. Edwards) and dividing into Industrial and Academic Publications Boards (brought up by Dunworth). I successfully opposed division. However, I lost on 'market research'.
I noticed that members of the Committee looked at D.C. Press to determine his reaction whenever I made a contribution to the discussion. D.C. Press went early after handing a note to Dunworth, both turning to look at me.
My resignation for personal reasons was noted.
Tuesday 18th June 1968
I received a letter from Tim Eiloart (dated 13th, posted 17th) inviting me to the Opening of CCL's Development Laboratories by Rt Hon George Brown on 28th June.
13th June, 1968
Dear Harold,
We will be holding open house here from Friday 28th June to
Tuesday 2nd July, 1968.
The Rt. Hon. George Brown will open our new development
laboratories on 28th. I do
hope you may be able to be with us and join us for lunch afterwards.
Otherwise you are welcome, of course, during the open days that follow.
I do hope we may look forward to seeing you, and will send
further details as soon as we hear from you.
Yours sincerely,
Tim
T.M.B. Eiloart
I have little doubt that the events at the IoP Publications Committee the previous day were linked to the warm invitation sent to me the next day by CCL. It was to the opening of their new laboratory by Rt. Hon. George Brown (Deputy Leader of the Labour Party but no longer, I think, Deputy Prime Minister) and to join the official party at lunch, which would include Robert Maxwell. Was it being implied that I would go places if I again associated with CCL and Maxwell?
I wrote to Tim Eiloart declining the invitation, adding "my best wishes in spite of our unfortunate association".
Monday 24th June 1968
I heard from the IEE that the Cambridge Conference in Electronics Design was in good shape - 70 papers had been received and 41 accepted. The Conference Dinner was to be in the Great Hall of Trinity College and the Reception would take place in the Combination Room. The IEE Officers reported that there was considerable interest by the Press, BBC and the USSR. The Secretariat also arranged that the Guest of Honour at the Conference Dinner would be Professor Charles Oatley. There would be a Press Release in a week or so.
Wednesday 21st August 1968
Plessey announced a bid for English Electric. I knew by this time there would be strong participation in the Conference on Electronics Design by both English Electric and Plessey and I remarked to Mrs. Ann Cook of the IEE that with an E.E. takeover it may become a one-company conference.
CAMBRIDGE CONFERENCE
23rd to 27th September 1968
The International Conference
on Electronics Design now came to fruition. I had designed the
Conference using computer analysis of questionnaires from members of the
IEE, IERE, IEEE, BIM & BACIE. Members of the Organising
Committee tracked down knowledgeable speakers on the topics requested and
members of the Secretariat worked hard at arranging
accommodation in four Colleges (Churchill, Girton, Hughes Hall & Sydney
Sussex) and venues for the Proceedings (Lady Mitchell Hall) and Dinner
(Trinity).
Ieuan Maddock of the Ministry of Technology opened the Conference. It is now interesting, though it did not signify anything to me at the time, that a contribution on The Direction of Government R&D in the opening session was from GCHQ.
The papers, the full programme and the list of participants are available. About half the papers were from the English Electric Group. One of the largest groups of participants was from Plessey, comprising 28 out of the total of 220. There was no ordinary participant from GEC - this I learned later from Bob Clayton, who became Technical Director of GEC, was due to his banning the Conference for his people.
As I had surmised there was a problem with the CCL contribution - Gordon Edge did not attend to present his paper, which was given instead by Tim Eiloart. Under all the circumstances I felt I could not respond to an invitation for participants in the Conference to visit CCL. Not long before the Conference, Computer Technology approached me personally through a Public Relations agency with an offer of a paper but it was too late to include it. All in all I saw the Conference as another attempt to get me to join CCL coupled perhaps with a nod and a wink towards the Chair of Electrical Engineering. However, I never felt myself suitable academically for that appointment - but I did not consider that maybe the Electronics Design field I had forged was a much-needed new direction.
I myself had to read someone else's paper as well as make a Chairman's Address; Professor Gosling of Swansea University (who later joined Plessey as Technical Director) sent me a message shortly beforehand referring among other things to his boy's asthma.
Sheila and I stayed in pleasant rooms at Sydney Sussex College and mercifully as Chairman and lady we did not have to pay for anything - I think this was a rather special concession. We greatly enjoyed the social events, and especially the Reception, at which I was given a great welcome by the serving officer who had always been attentive and courteous in my frequent use of the Combination Room when I was at the Cavendish. I paid ‘meet the Chairman’ visits to the other colleges.
Dinner AT Trinity College
It was a great privilege to chair the Dinner, looking down from high table in that magnificent Hall onto the sea of faces below, all of them present because of an interest in the field of Electronics Design, which had taken less than 5 years to emerge from my proposal within the IEE. Some time during the great occasion there was a little activity on the stage behind us - I didn't look round to see what was going on and I heard afterwards that one Fellow of Trinity College had the right to dine every evening in Hall and he was exercising that right regardless.
It was a pleasure to propose the Toasts. The guest of honour, Charles Oatley, the Professor of Electrical Engineering (and a Director of EEV), displayed great friendliness in his response.
Unfortunately I was not at my best at the Dinner for at the preceding Reception in the spotlessly clean Old Kitchen of Trinity College, with its real turtle shell trophies adorning the walls, I succumbed to an asthma attack - the first for many years.
There were a few participants from other countries - Prof C. Rhodenburg of Enschede wrote a warm letter of thanks afterwards, not least to Sheila for her hospitality to the wives of participants,
Brigadier-General Sir Leonard Atkinson, who was representing IERE, wrote in a similar vein as Prof. Rhodenburg.
Overall the Conference was successful and clearly the IEE had gone of its way to make the Conference a pleasing event to me personally.
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One event of considerable interest was a chance meeting with Bob Telford, Managing Director of Marconi, outside Sydney Sussex College - he was not attending the Conference. There was another curious incident towards the end of the Conference when an EEV man made a great thing about borrowing 10 shillings from me - I wouldn’t be surprised if this was number signalling.
There was, however, another spectre at the Feast. Just before the start of the Conference a member of the Secretariat, Joe Regan, relayed a message to me from a senior Plessey man saying "I will be glad to cooperate with you now I know what the Conference is for". That coupled to the considerable participation by Plessey as well as English Electric people and the fact that Plessey had made a bid for English Electric was rather thought-provoking.
It would be very interesting to know how and why Plessey and English Electric became such major participants and who was instructing the IEE to organise the conference along lines which gave me much personal pleasure.
[As a result of the bid English Electric entered into discussions with General Electric Company from which GEC and Lord Nelson of Stafford emerged victorious. I later learned that R.E. Burnett was a great friend of the Clark brothers who ran Plessey.]
Monday 16th December 1968
GWA Dummer wrote to me about Design. He worked at the Royal Radar Establishment, Malvern, held the U.S. Medal of Freedom and was one of Pergamon's Editors. I often wondered why he contacted me on this and one or two other occasions. Later, Dummer joined CCL as a consultant at a nominal fee.
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